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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/30135648">In Which Shiro is NOT a Human Disaster For Once</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nooneisgonnashipmyships/pseuds/Nooneisgonnashipmyships'>Nooneisgonnashipmyships</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Our Lives are a Space Soap Opera [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Voltron: Legendary Defender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Aged-Up Character(s), Aged-Up Lance (Voltron), Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Humor, Angst with a Happy Ending, Character Study, Chronic Illness, Cuban Lance (Voltron), Developing Relationship, First Dates, Fluff and Angst, Gay Disaster Shiro (Voltron), Insecure Shiro (Voltron), Lance (Voltron) is a Dork, Lance (Voltron) is a Good Friend, Lance and Shiro are the Same Age, Lance is a few months younger, Light Angst, M/M, Movie Night, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, POV Shiro (Voltron), Parent Lance (Voltron), Past Adam/Shiro (Voltron), Past Lance/Lotor (Voltron), Past Relationship(s), Pining Shiro (Voltron), Pre-Canon, Pre-Kerberos Mission, Pre-Relationship, Pre-Voltron: Legendary Defender, Self-Esteem Issues, Self-Reflection, Shiro (Voltron) Can't Cook, Shiro (Voltron) is Bad at Feelings, Shiro (Voltron) is a Dork, Shiro (Voltron) is a Mess, Shiro (Voltron)-centric, Single Parent Lance (Voltron), Terminal Illnesses, in that it is very subtle in humans, technically not but shiro is trying</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 17:07:08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,153</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/30135648</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nooneisgonnashipmyships/pseuds/Nooneisgonnashipmyships</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Tonight, Takashi Shirogane, Gay Disaster Extraordinaire™, was going to ask Lance out on a date. </p><p>Hopefully.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Lance/Shiro (Voltron)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Our Lives are a Space Soap Opera [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2178060</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>34</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>In Which Shiro is NOT a Human Disaster For Once</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This was supposed to be 1 whole thing but I was really struggling with the next few parts (namely, the actual date) but I realised I already had a sizable chunk of fic already written, so I figured I'd post this opening part to put less pressure on myself. This fic is part of a greater series that is currently being written out of order :P. Because of this, seem things might be confusing to you. While this fic is Shance, the endgame of this universe is Shancelot, so if you hate that ship, you can read this and none of the other fics.</p><p>Lance's son, Rodrigo, is Lotor's, but they had to seperate about a year before this story takes place. Shiro doesn't know about Lotor, or that Rodrigo is half-alien. Lance (obviously) knows that Lotor is an alien, but Lotor used a fake name when the two were together, so Lance doesn't know "Prince Lotor" nor anything about the Galra Empire or Voltron.</p><p>Anyway, hope you enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>This was it. Tonight's the night Shiro is asking out Lance.</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Yes, this is not the first attempt at asking Lance out. But it wasn't always Shiro's fault!</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>At first, his main struggle was with nerves. He and Lance had known each other for nearly a year, both coming off of the sudden ending of long-term relationships. The two were able to empathise with each other in a way others couldn't. Eventually, a bond grew, and a genuine friendship was formed. Sometimes being with Lance was just so easy. When Shiro realised he felt something more, he was terrified of losing all of that. It didn't help that Shiro struggled to keep personal bonds, mostly because he knew he couldn't promise anything life-long. Better to be remembered as a historical hero than the terminally-ill friend that you lost in your forties. The few people that he felt closest to were the ones that fought against that line of thought. When he was still in training, it was Adam. Back when the two were young students, and had no idea that they would discuss marriage in the future. The most current one was Lance...</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"Listen, Shiro," Lance had a fierce look in his eye, but he didn't sound angry, unlike Adam had, but determined. "If life's taught me anything, it's that we have no idea how long 'forever' will really last for." He turned to look at his sleeping infant son, Rodrigo, currently strapped in the car seat. "But that's why we have to use and appreciate every moment we still have." He faced Shiro again. "Especially with the people we care about."</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>While it had probably not been Lance's intention, what he said that night spurred Shiro to act on his feelings. It didn't 'cure' his fears of leaving people behind… of people leaving </span>
  <em>
    <span>him</span>
  </em>
  <span> behind. But didn't Shiro once say he wanted to live a life without regrets?</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So began 'Operation: Ask-Out Lance For Real This Time'. </span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>…Or the first attempt anyway.</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There Shiro had been, walking down the hallway with a box of chocolates in-hand. (He had initially been thinking of flowers, but then they would need a vase, and where would Lance find a vase on the base?). It was only until he turned into the teacher's area for the cargo pilot course did he remember one tiny detail. The cargo pilot course had a much different timetable than the fighter pilot course so that no one would have to fight over simulation equipment for practical exams. That also meant that the exams were at different times. </span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In other words, the whole staffroom was enduring the chaos of exam season.</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Teachers were scrambling to-and-fro, at least half a dozen were fighting over the coffee maker, and Shiro thought he heard someone crying about "how stupid" her students were. In the mass hysteria, Lance was at his desk, staring blearily at his screen. He was holding an ice-coffee from the Garrison cafeteria with a shaky-grip, and Shiro watched as he poured most of it over his shoulder while trying to aim for his mouth. The newbie teacher didn't seem to be aware of this as his lips seem to still be trying to reach the cup, even though most of the contents was staining the back of his shirt. </span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Uh, Lance?" Shiro said when he was within earshot, which had to be really close so the other could hear him over the background's screaming.</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"God?" Lance asked, and, oh, </span>
  <em>
    <span>boy</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Shiro might have to delay the operation until a better time.</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"No, it's Shiro." At the other's vague expression, he raised the chocolates and rattled it a bit to see if the noise could grab his attention. "I brought chocolate?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"My hero!" Immediately Lance's eyes brightened. He already looked less like a half-dead office drone and more like the passionate man Shiro had gotten to know. While at the time, he had been a bit disappointed he couldn't ask Lance out to a quiet place reveal his true intentions like he had wanted, Shiro couldn't deny how good it felt to make Lance happy. That great big smile of his was infectious. The chocolates had the added benefit of gaining the rest of the cargo pilot teachers' approval since Lance couldn't help but want to share with his coworkers. </span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Shiro did not want to waste any time, so as soon as Lance texted him about how he finished marking, Shiro asked to spend lunch together. Obviously, the Garrison cafeteria was </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> what Shiro wanted for a first date, but it </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> a good place to start a friendly chat over lunch and </span>
  <em>
    <span>then</span>
  </em>
  <span> discuss dating. </span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It would have been if the two weren't getting interrupted by coworkers walking up to chat with either one of them. Or students already coming to ask for extra-credit work even though they had only just been handed out their results that day.</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But finally, finally, they were alone, with only a few minutes before they had to go back to class. This was it. Shiro opened his mouth-</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And Lance's phone rang.</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was from the daycare centre Rodrigo attended. He had started developing a fever over the day despite seeming fine in the morning. Their policy meant that Lance had to pick his son up and couldn't be brought back in until he was well again. Ever the protective parent, Lance was rushing off before the phone call ended, and Shiro didn't get to see him for another week. </span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Obviously, Shiro didn't blame the little guy. It was unfortunate, but he was more concerned about Rodrigo's health than anything else. He was only a little under two, after all. It came as a great relief when Lance sent him a picture of the child's face covered with pureed fruit, with a grin stretching from ear to ear. </span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After all that worrying, Shiro had half-forgotten that he had to prepare for his students' exam. Technically that wasn't a failure since it was more of a delayed attempt. In retrospect, however, there were a few times where Lance had come to him that Shiro could have used as an opportunity to confess his feelings. Like the day Lance came into Shiro's staff room with homemade muffins and gave him a "super-special" reserved one. If Shiro was in his right mind, he would have been internally panicking over the </span>
  <em>
    <span>maybe</span>
  </em>
  <span>-flirty wink Lance gave him. Unfortunately, his stress-addled brain could only comprehend that someone had given him a triple-choc muffin. That was one fantastic muffin, though.</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Afterwards, Shiro thought that maybe he could return the favour by baking something for Lance and have that segway into a love confession. Seemed great in theory, and he thought he followed the recipe well. No one believed him, especially after the fireman dragged the giant piece of charcoal that was once his oven out of his apartment. Worse, the Garrison refused to replace it. Money wasn't an issue; Shiro said he would pay for it. They said that it was a matter of health and safety that Shiro's kitchen remains ovenless. He could keep his microwave, but it was on, quote, "thin ice".</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Lance, the wonderful man he is, brought over a casserole dish full of arroz con pollo (which, according to Google, is a Spanish chicken and rice dish popular in Cuba). Shiro was tempted to say it then, but he was acutely aware of the other's staring at the soot-covered hole in the kitchen. He wanted to look </span>
  <em>
    <span>good</span>
  </em>
  <span> in front of Lance when he finally asked him out. Or at least have a clean kitchen.</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>More things kept getting in the way. Luckily no more furniture was destroyed, so Shiro didn't look like even more of a disaster in front of Lance. But there would be constant interruptions. At work, it would be other coworkers or sudden meetings (that could have just been said in an email, but whatever). When the two were off-duty, there was always something going on with Lance's family, or Shiro would be called to do some tests at the hospital. </span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But, as Shiro always said, patience yields focus, and now there was the perfect opportunity. </span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The other day, Lance had mentioned how bad he felt that the two couldn't hang out as often as they used to. He couldn't leave the house that much with a toddler at home, and work was so busy they barely had time to chat. So Shiro had proposed maybe having an at-home movie night, probably at Lance's, so that the parent could be near Rodrigo. The other hesitated at first, and Shiro was worried he overstepped his bounds, but it turned out that Lance was concerned that Shiro would be the one uncomfortable. After some reassurances, the date was set, and Shiro found himself pulling up the driveway of his, hopefully, future mate's house.</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was a small place in the middle of almost nowhere, and Shiro knew the Garrison paid relatively well, but he was still surprised that Lance could afford an actual house. The other man explained that he had inherited it from a family friend, an older Omega whose first marriage was to a monstrous Alpha, and this place became her sanctuary. Obviously, this was before the relatively-recent Omegan civil right movements happened, so this was the best she could do at the time. Lance specifically got it because the old woman wanted to pass it on to a fellow Omega because of her past experiences. None of her children or grandchildren presented as Omegas, and Lance was the only Omega amongst his siblings, so he got it almost by default.</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"None of her kids was upset by it, and I knew why almost right away." Lance said as he showed him pictures of the house pre-renovation. "Snakes and scorpions had moved in, and there was so much work that needed to be done. I wouldn't have taken it if it weren't for the fact I was desperate to move out." He had a faraway look in his eye, as he often did when he recalled his past before becoming a teacher. "Didn't really need to, I just... needed some alone time to do some soul searching, you know? I've already told you about the sorta-mid-life crisis I had after I graduated. When I wasn't at work, I'd be fixing up the house just to distract myself from it all."</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With all the stories Lance would tell and his life experience, he sometimes seemed so much older than Shiro. Although Shiro was often accused of acting older as well. With the disease, he was more-accustomed to his own mortality than other's his age. And of course, career-wise, Shiro had accomplished more in his early-twenties than some pilots do in their lifetime. That's going to push anyone to "grow-up" faster. Maybe Lance seemed so much more mature because he had more social and personal accomplishments than Shiro did. Lance dated around a lot in his teen years and still has many friends he keeps in touch with despite his busy schedule. He has a close relationship with a huge family (and family friends, as it seemed). Before turning 20, he owned a house, and now he has a (rather adorable) son. All while balancing being a Cargo Pilot and later a teacher. </span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>On the other hand, Shiro and spent most of his life on a Garrison base. He took to flying like a fish to water. The name "Takashi Shirogane" was always on the top of the simulation scoreboards and end-of-year test scores. After graduating, he quickly proved himself in the air, becoming the youngest pilot to ever lead a mission. Back when Adam was still working with him, Shiro broke the record for the fastest orbital velocity, beating the old heliocentric speed by about five hundred kilometres per second. Everyone thought he had lost his mind when Shiro said he wanted to try doing it, but afterwards, they were slapping him on the back. Seemingly as the universe's way of balancing things out, Shiro's social life was a shadow compared to his professional one. The only family he knew was his mother, who died when he was 9 and his grandfather, who died when he was 18. Shiro was popular, but he didn't have many people he'd call friends. Adam was his best friend and later first and only boyfriend (both relationships, Shiro realised retrospectively, were initiated by the other). Shiro doesn't really regret not opening himself up more, but it made him realise how much he and Lance paralleled and contrasted each other. They are both well-accomplished for their age and thus stick out amongst their peers. But what their accomplishments actually are are almost the complete opposite of each other. </span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Shiro just hopes that doesn't end up being a deal-breaker.</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He exhaled, shook off the negative thoughts, and rang the doorbell.</span>
</p>
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